THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 31 
leaves and lenticels of stems are the “doors” through which air 
enters the plant. Air also enters the roots dissolved in the 
water taken in by the root hairs, hence certain mangroves which 
have the roots in thick mud send up special aerating roots armed 
with lenticels through which air is taken in. But many marsh 
plants have to store air and to do this develop within the soft 
cells of parenchyma of cortex and pith especially large spaces 
as air-stores, such tissue being termed aerenchyma. This can 
be seen in the pneumatophores (aerating roots) of Avicenna 
(mangrove), Jussiaea, Nardoo, &. The name aerenchyma is 
also given to the plates of parenchyma between which are large 
air spaces as in the bulrush (Typha). 
AGNES A. BREWSTER. 
THE Mounp Ant. In open scrub at Pennant Hills, in May, 
1921, I noticed that several plants of the common fungus 
Lepiota dolichaula had sprung up in the centre of a nest of the 
Mound Ant (Iridomyrmex detectus). The ants were very active 
biting off pieces of the fungus and carrying them apparently 
into the nest. On again visiting the nest a few days-later, the 
fungi had entirely disappeared. Fungi of the same species 
growing close by were not touched. ‘This ant appears to dislike 
having any herbage on its nests, these being usually quite bare. 
T. STEEL. 
ZBUZERA LARVAE. Mr. L. Gallard showed two butts of smal} 
wattle saplings about 4 inches in diameter. One of these con- 
tained two large Zeuzera moth larvae which had constructed 
their long silk lined tunnels extending out of the roots and up- 
wards until they were a little above the surface of the soil. This 
enables the larva to work too and fro, and (after heavy soaking 
rain) thus reach a point of safety when the lower part of the 
tunnel would be flooded’ with water. . 
The other butt was split down the centre to show the huge 
tunnel made by these larvae. 
GREEN REE-HOPPERS (MEMBRAICIDAE). Mr. Gallard also ex- 
hibited a cluster of the eggs of this insect, numbering over 80. 
These are laid on end in a double row and extend for about 4 
inches along the twig, illustrating what wonderfully clever work 
can be done by some of these small creatures by means of a 
pair of anal appendages termed cerci which act like fingers in 
placing the eggs in position. The newly hatched hoppers in 
their first instar somewhat resemble mound ants, but with suc- 
cessive moults they more and more resemble. the mature insect. 
